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Helpful Derivative Military Technology: Manayunk Cleaners in Philadelphia has been testing delivery of customers' clothing via its own drone (a converted four-blade DJI Phantom quadcopter originally used for aerial photography), guided by GPS.

Said one bemused customer, "I was wondering what the hell that was, to be honest." So far, the payload is limited to a shirt or towel, to be picked off the hovering aircraft by the customer, but owner Harout Vartanian hopes to buy a bigger drone soon.

Agence France-Presse news service reported an even bolder drone program in August: delivering beer to music festival-goers in South Africa.

The director of the Oppikoppi festival in Limpopo province attested to the drone's success.

A reveler places an order by cellphone, which marks the location, and the drone is dispatched to lower the beer by parachute -- usually in the midst of a cheering crowd. [NBC10 (Philadelphia), 7-9-2013]

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Contrary to popular wisdom, cows do not sleep standing up, but actually spend 12-14 hours a day lying down, even though their shape makes the position uncomfortable. Conscientious dairy farmers use beds of sand to adapt to the cow's contour, and since the late 1990s, a Wisconsin firm (Advanced Comfort Technology) has marketed $200 cow waterbeds, which are even more flexible.

Waterbeds may be superior, also, because they are built with an extra chamber that makes it easier for the cow to lower herself safely.